Jackal & Hyde
by Spookiesque
Summary: Dr. Sarah Elizabeth Hyde is sent to Borehamwood Asylum at the plea for help the chairman sent out. Her encounters with its most famed occupant, Ryan Kuhn, are nothing short of interestingly deadly. Can she 'cure' him, or will she be just another victim?
1. Mad Houdini

_its k to ignore this. just waste space_

_cause the share thing jacks up my stuffs_

_._

**Jackal & Hyde**

**Chapter One:** _Mad Houdini_

**Authoress:** _Spookiesque (me~)_

**Rating:** _T – M_

**Disclaimer:** _I only own the plot idea and any unfamiliar (aka OC) characters. I don't make money off of this and I'll be sure to put Ryan back in his room when I'm done with him. This disclaimer applies to any and all chapters following this one, so it'll only be posted here at the first chapter._

**Story is best viewed in 3/4 or 1/2 (at least, I feel so)**

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_Dr. Thomas Burke,  
_

_Our utmost apologies are given to you for the lateness of reply, and in response to your request for assistance, we of the State Lunatic Hospital at Danvers gladly offer up our services to determine the causes of insanity of your patients, and to cure them most efficiently. Given that our own resources are scarce in these times, we can only provide you with Dr. Hyde, who is regretfully out of the country at this time. Dr. Hyde, and assistant, will be sent a letter to ask for their immediate return from the Bethlem Royal Hospital in London._

_Please make them feel welcomed among your institute, as they are cherished members of our family._

_Sincerely,_

_General Chairman Dr. Francis P. Richards_

_._

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_._

_._

A carriage pulled up to the front steps of Borehamwood Asylum. Its driver pulled on the reigns tied to the horses, bringing both of the equine to a whinnying halt. He stepped off his perch to open the door for his passengers. First to exit was a tall and average looking man, appearing of his early-40's. He wore a crisp, gray suit tailored to his frame, and polished shoes. His salt and pepper hair neatly combed back. Next to exit was a small woman. The driver extended a hand to help her out in a gentlemanly fashion as her companion examined the buildings structure. She was short, barely reaching the man's collarbone even in heels, but her full figure and fresh face meant she was obviously well taken care of. Her wear consisted of a brown dress, tight at the sleeves and torso with a stiff and high collar. Her heels were black and white, buttoned up her calves.

"Thank you, Stanley."

She gave a nod of her head at the driver, who tipped his cap in return, before taking her place at her friend's side. The asylum was large and gothic in appearances and very imposing as far as she was concerned; not a fit place at all for fragile minds. She was the first to ascend the stone steps, hiking her skirts up to avoid sullying them. The door was already opened and a much older gentleman was standing at the entrance. He had his hands stuffed into the pockets on his coat which was barely concealing his bulging stomach.

"Why if it isn't the good Dr. Hyde!" He exclaimed as soon as she reached the door. However, his extended hand was not aimed in her direction, but rather at her assistant, Nikolause.

"I am Thomas Burke and I own this asylum. It's good to see you finally! I was worried that you might have gotten lost on your way; we _are_ pretty far from the Scottish highlands."

His attempt at a joke grated on her nerves only slightly more than his obvious ignorance as to who was the real Dr. Hyde, yet she resisted the urge to box him on the ears. Instead, she cleared her throat and asserted herself between the two men. The annoyed look that she received from Thomas did nothing to dissuade her from assuming the dominant role. It's only been 8 short years since B. Anthony died, and like hell was she going to step back and let him mistake her identity.

"Actually, Mr. Burke," Her hand was held out in greeting. "_I'm _Dr. Hyde. Dr. Sarah Elizabeth Hyde, to be precise. I'm here to help as asked, yet also to supervise the asylum at the request of the local medical committee. This is my assistant, Mr. Nikolause Krause. And the last I remembered, the city of London was not located in the Scottish highlands."

Hyde matched his incredulous stare with a slight smile, hand still extended and waiting. He seemed to dignify himself and, with some hesitation, took her hand in a gentle hold. The shake itself was slow and awkward, with Mr. Burke appearing to be deep in thought. Before she could assure him that the breasts on her chest would in no way deplete her intellectual integrity, he removed his hand from hers and swept it to the inside of the building.

"Well, please... come in. I...I'm sorry. I just wasn't expecting a woman, is all."

At least he was honest.

"That's alright, Mr. Burke. I'm used to that type of response, although I can assure you that as a Doctor and human, I will do my very best to cure these individuals."

He nodded his head and gestured to a set of double doors to the far left of the receptionists desk. The interior of the asylum was grand, to say the least. Unlit chandeliers hung from various points on the ceiling despite there being a few of those street light poles near the gateway. Their combined walking created nonrhythmic clicks and taps on the checkered linoleum floors as they strolled by flower vases, paintings and the odd bit of comfortable looking furniture. Mr. Burke began to casually talk about insignificant things; electricity being installed in certain wards, how the building was built on the Kirkbridge Plan, his wedding anniversary. Most of what he said was cataloged in Hyde's mind for later review as she looked around at the staff calmly moving patients from point A to point B, or simply having a cup of coffee. She couldn't help but question why she was even present upon spying one patient taking a leisurely stroll with a kindly looking nurse. Even so, the occasional uneasy glance from one person to another failed to miss her eyes.

Mr. Burke closed the doors behind them as they entered his office, motioning for them to have a seat in the two chairs before his mahogany desk. Hyde sat first, followed by her assistant, then Mr. Burke.

"I want to thank you for coming such a long ways to our hospital. In the reply I received from Danvers, it read that you were in London; I can't imagine how far away that is, so thank you."

Mr. Burke had his fingers laced together on his desk, a pensive look on his face. He continued before Hyde could respond.

"And it's not that I'm not grateful for Danvers sending you to us; any help is good help. But..." He unlaced his fingers and swiveled one hand in the air for a moment, trying to put together the right words. "I suppose I'm to blame. I didn't specify what our problem was, but our methods so far have been... I just did not think that a woman would be-"

"Mr. Burke, if I may interrupt your musings here, what on earth are you trying to get at?"

Hyde interjected, catching the man off-guard.

"Well," He began tentatively. "The reason I sent for help was because we have a patient that no one here can handle. He's... how can I put this... Violent doesn't begin to describe him. We've tried several curing methods, from feeding him certain things to shock therapy; his disposition towards us is the only sign that these treatments are even being acknowledged by him. He's...he was sane enough to bring himself here, but he never quite showed any signs of actually wanting to be helped. The damned lunatic even reverted back to what he was trying to change, and beat one of our nurses something awful a few months ago!"

Hyde took note of the way his jaw seemed to tighten and fists seemed to curl.

"I just didn't know what else to do with him. None of the nurses will go near him, and I can't let any of our men by him 'less I feel like calling up the mortuary. And good God, the man must think himself a mad Harry Houdini with the way he'd constantly get himself out of his room or restraints!" Burke paused for a moment to take a breath and relax the tension in his body. "The only place he can be that's safe for everyone, including himself, is the base...the basement."

Mr. Burke ran a large hand down his face and let loose an exasperated sigh. Any traces of the smiling man before were gone at that moment. Hyde leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms across her chest.

"That's where he's at now?" A nod was given to her. "Can we meet him? I would like to see this _Mad Harry Houdini_ for myself."

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**A/N:** I have no idea how to put some extra space between paragraphs -sadface-

First chanter revised and re-uploaded for your reading pleasure! Several things have been changed in order to better fit to the era that this takes place in- namely names and dress codes. Also think I might have improved the writing a teeny bit. Not sure. Probably not. Either way, hopefully this isn't as craptastic as it was before. Good golly Molly, it was bad. Now, I actually did proper research on how things were in 1900's but there are still some things that I don't know. Such as when linoleum floors were used in buildings...

Also, I'm gonna go ahead and say the setting of this is 1914 America. Ryan is English, just not obviously so. Maybe. I think England would have been a better setting but I'm vaguely aware of the fact that the English of today have their own ways of talking that I know nothing about, so I figured I wouldn't try to assume how they chatted it up in the 1900s.

Merf.

Not sure when the next chapter will be put up. So much crap to edit, it's unreal. Though, really depends on if people are even reading this thing. I hope someone is? Anyone?

As always, criticism is welcomed (and highly appreciated). Let's just make sure it's positive or at least partially helpful, yeah? Flaming and Trolling is fine fun but doesn't help me much.

**Fun Fact:** Bethlem Royal Hospital and the State Lunatic Hospital at Danvers are/were real mental asylums like whoa!


	2. Beguiler

_its k to ignore this. just waste space_

_cause the share thing jacks up my stuffs_

_._

**Jackal & Hyde**

**Chapter Two:** _Beguiler_

**Authoress:** _Spookiesque (me~)_

**Rating:** _T – M_

* * *

It took much more convincing on her part to get the unwavering man to let her get a glimpse of the madman. He had shown her his files which were, in striking contrast, both intriguing and frightening. To think that a man, once thought to be a staple of proper gentlemanly behaviors could devolve into an animal. The bodies of his victims were mutilated, especially the breasts and neck, and if she had not read that it was more out of sexual gain than sating any hunger of the stomach kind, Hyde would have instantly classified the man as a right cannibal.

There was no discrimination from him, she noticed. White, negro, immigrant; whomever he could get his hands on was who he'd get his hands on. Hyde had sifted through most of the images, skimmed over some of the writings inside, glanced at the audio reels presented to her – None of it did the job of sating her curiosity. It was safe to assume that he figured simply showing her images and documents detailing his horrendous actions would be enough to placate her desire to meet him, sending her on her merry little way back home. However, if there was one thing Dr. Sarah Elizabeth Hyde was not, it was easily persuaded against her own judgment.

Negotiations had to be made and met before Mr. Burke even so much as gave thought to the idea of her simply peeking through a peep-hole at the patient. In fact, he seemed damned set on having her go back to Danvers.

"He's mad, woman - the maddest of the mad!" He told her, shaking his head with a deep frown. She had a smile on her face in contrast to him. As a popular character once stated – we're all a little mad here; this man could not be as awful as Mr. Burke was painting him.

"Yes, yes, he's mad. This _is_ an asylum, is it not? Madness is to be expected." Hyde set the files down. "Look, Mr. Burke, once again, I _am _a certified psychiatrist and have worked at Danvers for years now." She reiterated for what must have been the half dozenth time.

Still, he did not seem at all willing to yield to her wish until she reasoned that, of course, her assistant would be with her at all times, and that, of course, she would be out of arms reach of the patient at all times. Precautions were to be taken and as they all stood to walk to where her soon-to-be patient was, Mr. Burke never let up his tense attitude and stiff movements.

Three men were waved over to them as soon as they exited the office. All were muscular and fit, looking more like they belonged in a boxing ring than anywhere else. Hyde assumed they were extra insurance, and seemed to be on the right track when Mr. Burke held his hand up for Hyde to wait right where she was while he had a walk-n-talk with the men down the hallway to their left.

"An overcautious man if I ever did meet one." She remarked, turning her eyes away from Mr. Burke and to her assistant. The only sign of recognition that she got from him was a scant, almost missed, nod of his head. Some might consider that an involuntary tick of nerves, but she was certain that was intentional. Any other person might have found offense in his seemingly blaring lack of interest with the general world around him, but Hyde was well accustomed to his silent nature.

So, to keep the silence at bay, she decided to run her plans by him. Whether or not he gave her a visual or audible sign of acknowledgment could be left up to him, but she expected him to listen and listen well.

"When we go in there I want new photographs of Mr. Kuhn for my own personal files, and they must be decent shots, Nikolause. Let me be clear on this; I want clean images of every inch of his body, from the roots of his hair to the possible mole on his foot. I want everything said by and to this man for safekeeping, so I'm going to need you to stock up on records for me." She took a moment to pause and tug down on her left sleeve as Mr. Burke returned with the men.

"Are we all ready now?"

They were all silent as they were led away down several hallways leading to the back of the asylum. They stepped outside and passed by several groups of patients huddling or shuffling either in a small cluster or alone. Hyde noticed that there weren't a lot of orderlies around, but dismissed the lack of attendance on the patients being well enough to move about without an overbearing amount of aid. For the most part, she was right.

Around to the back was a greenhouse filled with vegetables. Probably a means of self-fulfilling activity for some patients to partake in – growing their own food and giving them a sense of achievement perhaps. Could have also just been a way to keep idle hands at bay. She assumed the entrance to the basement was the grim looking door to an ugly brick-made storage to the right of the greenhouse.

"If you will, Ma'am, he's right this way. The lights are a little faulty down here, so do watch your step." Mr. Burke gestured to a flickering light beyond the door set deep into the brickwork. The keys he pulled off his waist jingled in his hands as he stepped aside. Dr. Hyde had half a mind to ask him why the _hell_ the basement of the asylum wasn't actually located underneath the building, but refrained when she managed to carefully step her way down into the dim-lit hall.

Mr. Burke flipped another switch on and off a handful of times, cursing under his breath briefly before the lights sputtered to life. Hyde instinctively pulled her arms closer to her body as a chill set in. Water dripped down from cracks in the ceiling, where she could hear, just barely, sounds of life above.

"This is the basement?"

"It is. We had to relocate the entrance after an unfortunate accident involving a patient and the furnace."

He seemed uncomfortable at divulging that bit of information, and rightly so. She had hoped they at least moved Mr. Kuhn to a location down here clear and _away_ from aforementioned furnace. Hyde hummed a little in response, taking in the sight. Though they were currently shuffling awkwardly in a narrow passageway, she could see through an opening ahead that there was more space yet to be seen.

"How long has be been down here?"

Mr. Burke stalled for all of three seconds before resuming his pace. Of course she'd ask, he knew. Didn't make forming a response any easier. He paused at the threshold leading to the more spacious area of the basement, groping the air around him for something. A click was heard and Hyde shied her eyes away from the swinging light. It didn't even begin to touch the edges of darkness that still surrounded them intensely.

"For a few months now." Came his quiet and reluctant reply. "Tried to bring him back up some times within the last month, but he wouldn't let us."

"_He wouldn't let you?"_ The incredulity in her tone was not at all accidental and she did not try to hide it at all. She very blatantly threw her eyes and a hand at the discerning darkness with a bit of exasperation.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Burke, but please do explain to me _why_ he wont let you bring him back up. Because I'm having just the hardest of times trying to understand it on my own."

She could have been a little bit more polite, she knew, but something in her told her this man was either lying through is teeth - and she'd give him a verbal tanning if he was – or something was wrong with the patient. Neither choices sat well with her.

Mr. Burke gave a discreet shrug of his wide shoulders, walking ahead to turn on more lights around them, disappearing into the blackness. Seems there was much more to the basement than she thought before, spying about five other doors and two openings down there. She made a mental note to ask where they led to at some other time. She was only mildly surprised to find Mr. Burke standing next to the one at the farthest reach, a lit lantern in his hand.

"He just wont."

The keys jingled again as he searched for the right one, seeming to be deliberately slow on picking it out. Hyde took it upon herself to gift herself a look at the man in question. The door was fitted with a sliding piece a little bit above her eye level. Undeterred, Hyde leaned into the door, lifting up on her toes and pulled open the sliding piece of metal slowly.

She didn't see anything. No sign of life, no shuffle, no cry, nothing. There weren't that many places for one to hide in a locked 10x10 room, but he was doing a fine job of making use of those inky black corners the light just couldn't seem to reach. Hyde backed herself down when Mr. Burke seemed to have found the right key before they all grew old.

Hyde could practically _smell_ his unease at slowly pushing the key into the lock. His face all but bled disdain, but he unlocked the door without incident. The men he recruited were immediately too close to the good doctor, bodies almost pressing to her.

"His disposition regarding women is not lost on any of us," She began, shouldering her way by them. "-however I don't want anyone laying a solitary finger on Mr. Kuhn without _my_ permission."

The look on her face and the tone in her voice was nothing short of unwavering authority. It washed over the men most unpleasantly. They wanted to challenge her, put her in her place, but as far as she was concerned, Kuhn was _her_ patient now, and had full say-so on what was done to or with him. The ever cautious Burke, however, had other ideas.

"If he so much as _looks_ at you for more than a seconds time, I'm having him put down. I don't care, and you don't understand just yet what this thing is capable of. And keep your voice down, please!"

"Might I be so bold as to remind that it was _you_ who sent for help, and _you_ who claimed to be unable to handle him. Well, here I am, right in front of you, sir. If you don't want to do things my way, I'd suggest sending a letter of apology to Danvers for wasting their time _and_ mines."

Their eyes met and two dominant personalities seemed on the verge of a sudden silent war. Hyde lifted her chin up, stared down her nose, and crossed her arms under her breasts, a look of sternness taking hold. She was matched with a look of his own, but before either of them could get a word in, Nikolause reached between them and twisted the knob. Taking the fuel away before the fire could burn on.

"Do not hurt him." Was her final command before she confiscated the lantern and stepped into the room.

A smell trailed up her nostrils and burned a path to her eyes and throat, like a shot of whiskey or a sharp punch to the nose. It reeked of piss and an almost painful musty scent. Her hand went to her nose without shame, a kerchief pressed securely against. None of the men seemed to take notice, or maybe they were hiding it, she didn't know and didn't care at the moment.

"My God! When was the last time you've cleaned this room?"

She was aghast and appalled, yet Mr. Burke appeared to be much more indifferent to Mr. Kuhn's living conditions than before. He shrugged his shoulders again and softly told her to keep her voice down once more.

"He's probably sleeping, no doubt. He'd be giving us hell if not. I'd appreciate you not disturbing his slumber with your exaggerated vocal displeasure."

He was in need of a few _good_ socks to the chin as far as she was concerned. His previous apprehensive disposition was very suddenly replaced with a cold and quiet demeanor, and she didn't like it. Not one little bit.

"Gosh, that's a real shame, then, because I don't think you quite-"

She didn't know why her teeth almost bit down on her tongue. She didn't know why she decided at that exact moment to look into the darkest part of the room out the corner of her eye. She didn't even know why she felt unnerved by doing so. But the silence that followed was deafening; her ears began ringing. Hand still hovering in the air in a non-threatening point at Mr. Burke, Hyde turned to face the dark.

"I thought you said he was asleep..."

Tense did not begin to describe the rigidness and forced stillness of Burke and his men. They all trained their eyes to where she was looking, the two orderlies clenching fists and puffing out chests, yet remaining as still and keen as a preying hawk. They might as well had stopped breathing while they were at it. Hyde upturned her eyes at the sudden display of bravado, not at all interested.

"Shows how well you know your patients, Mr. Burke - take that how you want it." Hyde muttered lowly, rolling her eyes back to the man in the dark.

He was residing in a corner, one leg drawn up and the other bent under it on the floor. If he hadn't moved from one corner to the next before, she would have never even noticed him. Hell, from what she could make out it was hard to imagine him still among the living. He was a level beyond lanky, almost breaching anorexic territories. One of the men took in a sharp inhale of breath when she quickly crossed the gap between she and Mr. Kuhn, crouching down to his level to assess him with critical, clinical eyes.

She wondered when it last was when he'd had a good shave let alone a good brush; the thick and untamed hair atop his head seemed to scream 'too long ago'. Pale flesh, sunken cheeks, jacket a little too tight for comfort, but no physical wounds as far as she could tell. Better lighting and a proper examination would be in the near future, though. Hyde lowered the lantern from his face at seeing his sharp hazel eyes slowly shy away and body almost pitifully tremble and curl into itself. Her fingers adjusted the small key-like handle on the bottom, the fire dimmed a little. The unequivocal indignation on his face belied that seemingly frightened gesture in an almost unsettling way.

"This thing on his head is here for...what reason was it again?" She inquired while openly staring at it. It was crude and looked much too heavy to be perched on his shoulders. A hook rested precariously at the top of the head cage. A glance at a ring high on the wall told her it wasn't just for ascetics.

"As I've stated earlier, Ms. Hyde, he's a violent one. He bites anyone who tries to touch him and has just recently begun chewing through not only his bindings, but his fingers and anything else he can shove in his rotten mouth."

With a hummed reply she would save her long-winded speech on medical malpractice and the lack of moral treatment for later.

"...Ryan Kuhn?" No reply. "I'm Dr. Sarah Elizabeth Hyde. I've come from another hospital just for you. I heard you needed help."

If his silence was any indication, she believed he either didn't understand one single word she said or didn't care. He only stared at her through those impossibly vibrant eyes, leaving a feeling of unease wherever he decided to look next. He looked at her as if she was as important to his existence as a little grubby, flesh eating bug. Forcing a sense of undaunted determination, Hyde continued.

"I know you probably don't like me already, but I'm certainly looking forward to spending time with you."

A sign of recognition skittered about in his eyes, lips twitched ever so slightly. A smile, perhaps? She dipped her head, resting her cheek on the hand on her knee, and smiled at him, looking every bit the image of a mother reassuring her discouraged child.

"I would like for a room be prepared for him in a quiet part of your lovely hospital, Mr. Burke. Spare clothes, soap and other toiletries, as well as some towels. A warm meal would also be appreciated."

He never stopped his dissection of her with his eyes, but she was sure that was how he assessed new people. Like a dog, minus all the sniffing. Of course, she never stopped her even observations either. Mental notes of things needing to be done were piling up in her head like stacks of unread newspapers on a front porch. There was so much to do, she didn't know where to begin.

"I'm afraid I can't do that. Don't misunderstand – I want him back up with the general populace as much as you do, but it just wouldn't sit well with the others. Especially the fairer ones. Not to mention-"

"Don't misunderstand -" Hyde finally looked up and over her shoulder at Burke. "I understand your trepidations entirely, but you seemed to have mistaken a demand for a request, Mr. Burke."

The lantern was placed gently on the floor, drawing Ryan's eyes away from her to stare at it for the scantest of seconds. He quickly resumed his severe gazing at her in...what? Fascination? Indifference? It was hard to tell in the low light. A haggard sigh, subtle murmurs, slight shuffling, yet still no sign of anyone going to do what she said. She violated all the precautions set up; at only a few inches away from Ryan, she was well within grasping; she had long since left the alleged 'safety' of the men behind her and the shadows were creeping in at having dimmed the kerosene lamp.

Though not wholly comfortable, she wasn't nearly as afraid as they seemed to want her to be.

That would be her downfall, one person was certain of it.

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As always reviews are appreciated!

**Fun Fact: **I like to take the chapter title, Beguiler, as in Beguile Her as in deceive her -so smurt-


	3. Animal's Piece

_its k to ignore this. just waste space_

_cause the share thing jacks up my stuffs_

_._

**Jackal & Hyde**

**Chapter Three:** _Animal's Piece_

**Authoress:** _Spookiesque (me~)_

**Rating:** _T – M (this chapter has bad words innit)_

* * *

"Jesus, Mary and Joseph! Someone get his damned legs under control 'fore I lop the fuckers off!"

"I'm trying, damn!"

"Aw, hell!"

"_D__er verdammte schweinehund!"_

"Nikolaus! _Oh_, will you all just _calm down_?"

Dr. Hyde stood in the doorway to Ryan's room in the basement, one hand gripping the collar of her shirt the other the lantern for extra light. The scene before her was nothing short of ridiculous. Four able-bodied men were wrestling with one malnourished man with his arms bound, and were losing. Granted the head cage did make for a devastating impromptu weapon they should have easily subdued him fifteen minutes ago.

"If he doesn't stop his thrashing I'm gonna thrash him!"

"Don't hurt him, be the bigger person!"

"Bigger _what_? Bigger person my rear end, lady!"

Brutes. Mindless, simpleton, moronic brutes! Hyde released a sigh of great frustration and decided it high time to step in and help calm down her patient, because it was obvious to her now that Mr. Burke refused to, and her 'helpers' were losing their patience fast. The lantern was unceremoniously shoved in Mr. Burke's hands. He fumbled with it for a second or two before righting it and stifling a scowl.

"Ryan-" she doubled back to avoid a kick aimed in her direction. "Ryan Kuhn, relax!"

The men holding him, Nikolaus, William, Tommy and Larry each grunted and let loose a flurry of curses of varying degrees of offensiveness. Hyde's face flushed at the sailor talk but she said nothing to them in response. The well being of Ryan came foremost to her personal issues with bad-mouthing. Hyde pressed her middle and thumb fingers to her temple and calmed her rising nerves. It would benefit not a soul present for her to snap and yell at him as well.

"Now, Ryan we talked about this before. Remember? I told you I was going to take you back up to take care of you." her voice was as soft as she could make it. "I understand this must be very frightening for you; it's so sudden and we've only just met, I know. But I want to help you and I can't do that if you wont let me."

He didn't seem to care that she was talking. His torso twisted cruelly in the hands of his captors, legs kicking out violently against their rough holds. He screamed and growled at them all, eyes wide and wild. Hyde half expected foam to start forming at the corners of his mouth. In fact, if it did she wouldn't be surprised at all. What did surprise her was the sudden harm he was causing her aid. Ryan kicked Tommy in his genitals and sent the youngest man collapsing to the ground, clutching himself pitifully and gently choking on his own saliva. His next victim was Larry, who received a sharp blow to the face via a vicious headbutt. He dropped Ryan's legs and held on to his bleeding nose, voicing his pain and anger more vividly than his floored companion.

"Sonuvabitch, goddamned bastard! Mother of God, shit!" were just a few of the explicit words the doctor could hear from behind his hands. Nikolause instantly let Ryan out of the bear hug he had him in and quickly put some distance between him and the crazed man. William followed suite. He took up a place next to Hyde, who held a look of defeat on her face. She didn't want to use sedatives. They inspired distrust and unease in patients, not to mention it made them groggy and moody upon awakening. Especially if they remembered being elsewhere after waking. But as Ryan cried out like a beast once again, bending at the waist and fully putting his all into his vocal assault, Hyde felt she had no choice.

"I believe this is where I tell you 'I told you so.', right?"

"Mr. Burke," she rounded on him. "I don't know where your sudden apparent lack of care for him has come from, but one more wise crack out of you and I'm sending a letter to the highest medical authorities I can about his less than satisfactory living conditions in this dank and deliberately uninhabitable _basement_!"

A vein worked itself visible on her neck as she twisted her head to eye the older man. She would be damned to hell and back if she let this go on any longer. Ryan needed proper care and attention and he was obviously not getting any down here. Mr. Burke worked his jaw a little, slowly sliding it from side to side. He was probably contemplating her words. He called for help, that was undeniable, but that did not mean that he had to like the help. Especially if the help was a short and irritating redhead that seemed to not understand what 'serial' and 'rapist' put together meant.

That deadened stare he was giving her prompted Hyde to put on her stubborn face again. Arms crossed and chin raised, she stared up at Mr. Burke once again, though blatantly ignoring the screaming madman behind her in lieu of taking something into consideration. That something being exactly _why_ Ryan had began screaming. Not but a half hour ago she was sitting before him, slowly making light conversation and gentle explanations on who she was, why she was there and what she wanted to do. He watched her carefully with judgmental and roaming eyes, but said nothing.

It all changed when she asked for assistance in moving him.

When the three men shuffled closer it was like cold water in hot oil. His outburst was so wild and split-second that _she_ was almost on the receiving end of that head piece. Even bound he was fast. Though not as fast as Mr. Burke was in demanding his immediate detainment. It was harsh and cruel the way they tackled him. In fact, the cage might have actually served well in protecting his head from severe trauma upon being slammed to the wall. None of that helped the situation any, either. Ryan grew increasingly more violent and so did the men. Nikolause was thrown in somehow and things eventually escalated into some sick type of brawl.

"So...what now, Miss Hyde?" Mr. Burke started up once more. "Any more genius ideas or should I bring in enough sedatives to put out a bronco?"

It would be two minutes before one of the men returned with her bag and a stretcher, and another 30 seconds for Hyde to fish out the items she needed; a gauze mask, a dropper and the sedative. She held on to each item uneasily as Ryan burned holes into her body with his unwavering glare. It felt like he was dissecting her again.

"I need that cage off his head." she muttered, using conversation as a means to alleviate the sudden silence and awkwardness.

"And I want to be rich and married to Mary Pickford, but sometimes life is a cruel lady."

"Listen here, I can't administer this with that in the way! Now either you take it off or I will endeavor to ruin your livelihood."

"You're gonna get enough of threatening me, young lady." Mr. Burke started up, but let that train of thought die. "You must be as crazy as the rest of these folks in here if you think that thing is coming off without consequences." he sighed, stuffing a hand into a pocket. A hunter-case pocket watch was pulled out and dully stared at. According to the time they had been at this for too long. At this point he just wanted to go home, recline in his chair and pretend to read whatever nonsense was in the paper while sneaking glances at his wife's ever-expanding rear end. Hell, even her dry and over salted dinner would be better received.

"On his belly, boys."

He replaced the pocket watch for a ring of keys and slowly picked at them until he found the right one. Burke gestured at Tommy and Larry to once again put their bodies in harm's way, and they did so reluctantly, muttering among one another.

"He nails me in the jewels again and I don't care how much of a lashin' I'll get, I'm gonna pummel him..."

"I hear ya."

The screaming and thrashing started again, but this time the men were ready. Tommy grabbed Ryan's legs and sat on them while Larry evenly pressed most of his weight on Ryan's back and cage. It took less than a minute to unlock the padlock and separate the two halves. Larry making sure to fist his hand in the mop of hair and shove down to keep those gnashing teeth at bay. He jerked his head down at the squirming man beneath him.

"You waiting for an invitation or something, lady?"

Hyde blinked several times at the man before uncapping the vial and squeezing tiny droplets of the liquid on the mask. Ryan had to have his head forced in her direction with unnecessary roughness. He seemed out of his element for a scant few seconds, seeming to be making an attempt at figuring out just what was going on, tongue snaking out to taste the bit of blood oozing from his split lip. He didn't get a chance to gather himself before the gauze was pressed to his face, covering his mouth and nose. Hyde held it firmly in place while he struggled, taking deep breaths and inadvertently working with her.

His eyes closed for a moment and Hyde pulled back the mask a bit.

"Can you bring that in here please? I want to move him as- Agh!"

Teeth latched on to the second knuckle of her index finger, clamping down like a vice. Without thinking she jerked her hand back once, then twice and the skin of both the top and bottom of her finger were ripped open across his teeth. Hyde cradled her hand against her chest, either unaware or not caring that Larry had slammed Ryan's head into the ground a handful of times before squeezing the gauze back against his face. At that point it wasn't even needed.

Ryan eyed her critically, blinking rapidly as Nikolause quickly pulled extra gauze from the bag and wound it round her wound tightly. No one was as unsurprised as Burke, but he said nothing of it.

It took a few more minutes before his body fell limp. Larry and Tommy hesitantly yet carefully got off him and took a few cautionary steps back, just waiting for him to spring up. He never did.

"What was that?" Burke questioned with only a hint of interest.

"...What?" she winced breathing heavily through the pain. "Oh... a little Yankee Dodge." Hyde replied in a strained voice, gently cuddling her hand. She would without a doubt need several stitches. But for now she still had a job to do. He had to be moved before waking up, even though she was sure that would not be for a while yet.

A half hour later and each of them would find themselves in a vacated room in a largely isolated part of the asylum. Ryan was strapped to the bed and with the exception of Burke and Nikolause, each man made his way out. The head cage was inevitably latched back together on his head, but that was fine for the time being.

Her attention was drawn to his newly revealed stomach. The skin was paler and sicker looking than his face and upon pushing his shirt further up she could she the scars, veins and bruises that trailed along under his skin and mottled his flesh. Hyde wasn't sure whether to compare the sight to the large black splotches on a cow or the Boston street map.

"As of this moment I don't want anyone in this room or near him who has not been allowed to do so by me personally. I want all of his medical records on my desk within the week and I want to talk to every single living soul here who has been in contact with him." There was no lightness to her tone; she was monotonous and stiff.

"That's a lot you're asking for, and you've asked for enough already. I don't understand why you need those. It's not like he's-"

"Do not test me, Mr. Burke, because my finger has been maimed almost as awful as his whole body; I am not in a joking mood any longer, sir. I am also not fond of repeating myself, so here it is one last time: If I don't have those papers I will take it upon myself to _bleed_ the information I need out of everyone here. Are we understanding each other now?"

She didn't acknowledge his abrupt departure from the room. Her fingers traced the path of a particularly deep-set scar that cut a groove into his waist, making mental documentations of each injury. If not for the insistent humming of her own she would have sat down to make notes for herself, but the dullness was slowly beating into a thick and fast throb that dared to upset her mood even more. So it was with heavy shoulders that she turned on her heels and exited the room, locking it behind Nikolause before walking at a brisk yet rigid pace to the infirmary down two flights of stairs.

* * *

Short chapter is short.

I honestly don't know how the hell that cage was secured to his head. I thought that it was maybe welded together while he was wearing it, but in some pictures I seen that there was a lock shaped doohickey at the bottom. In retrospect I think it was just something apart of his restraints, but I figured it'd be okay to throw a lock in there anyways. The hook part is legit though.

Penny for your thoughts?

**Fun Fact: **Yankee Dodge is what the use of Diethyl ether was called in Boston. I also realize that it was used as an anesthetic during surgery but I figured it could work to knock someone out for general purposes too. Safer than chloroform anyways.


	4. Doctor Feelgood

_its k to ignore this. just waste space_

_cause the share thing jacks up my stuffs_

_._

**Jackal & Hyde**

**Chapter Four:**_ Doctor Feelgood, Come Make Me Feel Real Good_

**Authoress:** _Spookiesque (me~)_

**Rating:** _T – M (an adult situation is ahead, nothing largely bad)_

* * *

It would be ten days until Dr. Hyde managed to clear her desk of paperwork and catalog all the information that was given to her as requested. Well, most all. Three of those days were spent locked in arguments with Mr. Burke over living conditions, neglect and abuse, and two days were spent negotiating with each man and woman working in the asylum, setting up dates and times to sit down and talk. None of them were eager to hear her speak the words:

"_I need to have a few words with you in regards to Mr. Kuhn."_

But the dates were set, Mr. Burke was displeased but heeding, and her phonograph records were on hand. Luckily the phonograph itself was already situated inside Ryan's new room for her. Progress was slow but at least she was going somewhere. The same could not be said for her new charge, however. She would like to say that her busy schedule kept them at a distance, but it would be more along the truthful side to admit he just really did not like her.

The times that she were able to break away from her pens and papers for him were often silent and heavy with unease and barely subdued rage. He was restrained 100% of the time by thick straps across his chest and shoulders, waist, knees and ankles. Hyde knew he resented being tied down and the bite guard across his lower face was something he could not abide by, but she was not eager for a repeat of their last encounter.

The twelve highly uncomfortable and itchy sutures secured to her finger throbbed at the memory. The tiny bits of thread used to keep her flesh from peeling away and the deep lacerations from bleeding her out were individually tied all across her finger. It was almost unbearable, the itching and pulling, and she had to keep her mind busy to ignore the urge to scratch away. Still, it was healing well enough even though the dull yet constant ache and stiffness was a bother and it made finishing her papers much more of a chore than necessary.

As she left her new office on the ground floor, the woman was not smiling and was in no mood to be social on her way to do her usual check in. But she did make attempts at conversations when approached only because it would be rude to outright ignore everyone. However, there was one conversation that she'd rather had avoided for as long as possible, but as soon as she set foot on the second floor landing she was rushed by several nurses.

"Oh, Dr. Hyde!" A young nurse approached her all teary eyed with a tissue in one hand. "Did you hear the awful news?"

"It's so awful!" One spoke up.

"Just awful!" Another agreed.

The woes chimed in left and right, as did the women. She was soon surrounded by a handful of ladies, each at varying degrees of sadness and upset. Hyde's finger began to pulsate irritatingly as they cried and sniffled. In the week and three days that she'd been around, not a single nurse had ever really given her a hand when turned around, or easily consent to speak with her about Ryan. Yet now that the Titanic was a wreck at the bottom of the ocean she was suddenly the one to seek out? She felt bad for feeling annoyed by them but only enough to ease the look of irritation from her face.

"Yes, I heard the news just this morning. It's all really very sad." she glanced around at the women briefly. The incident, though tragic, had nothing to do with her. No one she knew or cared for was on the ship and so it affected her only in the slightest of emotional ways. A sad sigh, perhaps, but that was as far as she was willing to go to display any upset. To her, this was a logical and realistic response to bad things that happened outside of her personal life.

The world does not stop spinning because people die. Dying is a natural part of living and for as long as she could grasp the concept of life and death, it has never stopped her. Slowed her down, sure, but never stop. As such, the only thing she was concerned with was getting her job done. Let the beloved of the deceased deal with it; it's their tragedy, not hers.

This detachment to the traumatic event would have probably led to a confrontation with the obviously ailing women, so Dr. Hyde took the higher ground and listened to them sob and bleat to their hearts' content. When they were calmed down to a few sniffles and heavy sighs, she took the opportunity to restore a little good karma to her name while breaking away.

"I'm afraid I have to see to my duties now. But... if any of you need to talk about this again, you know where my office is. My door is always open."

They departed with heavy shoulders and the general air of displeasure. It was the truth and she would gladly listen to them at any other time, but at that moment she was determined to have a legitimate conversation with Mr. Kuhn. One that did not involve her doing all of the talking. Actually, if he would make an effort to even show her the slightest sign of his acknowledgment- a sigh, a blink, anything -that would certainly go down in her books as an achievement.

Hyde resigned to enter his room chipper and ready to interact with him. Having only known the bitter resentment of the staff, she reasoned he could do with a smile for once.

* * *

The midday sun streamed in through the small hole in the wall that was meant to be a window, bathing the room and everything within in a deep orange glow. The bars in the window, quite unnecessary given the fact that no human being could ever hope to squeeze through such a tiny opening, left long shadows against the door and wall. Tiny dust motes floated in the rays of light between the bars, flitting to and fro undaunted by Hyde and her waving hand.

The room was about the size of an average child's room, not overly spacious but roomy enough for a person to spread out comfortably on the floor if they so desired. The decor was spartan; bare of everything deemed unnecessary or hazardous to health, and the walls and floors were of a bland, simple white. The bed that the madman was restrained upon was small both in width and length, and his feet were less than an inch from hanging over the foot. The covers were a thick and heavy wool, probably an intentional choice given some patients liked to tear at the thinner fabrics, but that didn't take away from the fact that they were impossibly uncomfortable.

With the exception of the things she recently placed in the room, such as the chair and phonograph, everything was bolted or welded into place, leaving no hope of makeshift weapons or creating a mess larger than a blanket on the floor. That is, if she were to exclude bodily messes.

The glasses that she wore only for business or reading rested low on the bridge of her nose as she stared down at the papers on her lap in silent contemplation.

"I've spent a lot of time trying to figure you out." her eyes drifted upward. "This hospital is horridly unorganized when it comes to your documents; I had to learn about you almost entirely on my own, Ryan- may I call you by your first name?" he did not answer. "Some of these papers were useful; I know the basics of you such as where you were born, how old you are. Still ultimately unsatisfying."

The small pile of aged papers were dropped at her feet and a new stack took their place in her hands. Her ward did not seem at all interested in this as he stared up at the ceiling, seemingly uncaring of whatever it was this blight of a woman had to say. Actually, if anything, he was possibly hiding his extreme upset at being awoken by her. He did look peaceful in his induced slumber, she would admit, which was why she did not disturb him immediately. Be as it were that she never actually touched him, somewhere in the farthest recesses of his mind he could _feel _her eyes on him.

He was aware of her wanting to examine him and 99 percent of the time he would never turn down a chance to show a woman just what he was made of, but damn it all he was tired! Still, even borderline overdosing on sleep inducers, he found it hard to actually _sleep_ with her predatory gaze all but ripping the clothes from his body and observing him with eyes outfitted with scalpels. Ryan was forced to pry his eyelids apart and stare blearily up at the virgin snow white ceiling as she gave him the verbal equivalent of what he wished he could do to her. This must have been how his victims-in-waiting felt.

The majority of her words fell on deaf ears, but she was nothing if not persistent.

"So, Ryan," undeterred, Hyde continued. "I've decided that the best way to fill in these blanks would be to spend time with you!"

Her enthusiasm was rewarded with a harsh glare and knitted brows. He was undoubtedly frowning deeply at her behind his bite guard, and she had not a single doubt in her mind that he would break her and leave her floating naked in the nearest body of water if he could. She took that as a victory, though, since this was the first time since their first meeting that he bothered to look at her.

Hyde realized that was more than a little morbid of her, but in this line of profession you take the good with the bad.

"Is there anything you want to talk about?" she absently asked, jotting something down on one of the papers. "We don't have to talk about your mistreatment if you don't want to, not right now. We could talk about what hobbies you have, any food in particular that you enjoy eating, your favorite color even."

His light eyes watched her rub a finger under her nose. Whether she was fending off the permeating odor that festered in the room like a carcass under a bed or not was hard to tell. Mainly because he didn't care to. He would have assumed the answers to those questions would have been known or at the very least she could guess and leave him the hell alone. His personality was hard to understand and the things he did seemed to perplex society, but he was in no way a deep man that needed to be deciphered.

His hobbies were romancing the dames. Wrapping his arms around their frail bodies and holding them close as he rocked them to the sound of their screams was poetic in a way. He ate away at their fears and pain, licking it from their skin and sucking it from their breasts like a nursing child. They whined, but he knew they enjoyed it. The rosy pink of their flowers, doused in red, bruised and gleaming from overzealous plucking said so. But oh. He would paint the world that glorious shade of perfection if he could.

Ryan became pleasantly aware of a warmth spreading to the pit of his stomach from points lower. It had been a while, so long that it felt foreign. Wholly welcomed, though. His trousers yielded just enough to be absent of an unwanted strain, but the belts across his body left him without a means of tending to himself. It was unfortunate and no amount of squirming would be the solution.

Everything felt unpleasant on him. His bite guard was stifling; his clothes were hot and heavy; his restraints were just too tight. The slight breeze drifting in at a slow and easy pace was an irritation as it pushed some of his looser strands of hair around on his forehead. Even the spider high up in the corner was a bother to him.

"Well the reason I ask is because I want a fresh start with you. I know you don't care," and this woman, _dear God this woman_, was still making noise in ignorance to his urgent situation. "but I care. I feel like no one has said that to you in a very long time, if at all. And I know we're not well acquainted even in the slightest, but I do care. You're not alone anymore."

It was when she gave him a closed-lipped smile, eyes darting to his swollen manhood yet lacking any sign of getting off her ass, that he realized he would abhor her very existence from this day forward.

"I'll start first..." she still smiled, but her brows were furrowed slightly, fingers playing with her pen. "I enjoy cooking and viewing art very much. The works of Mucha and Van Gogh in particular. I don't expect you to know who they are, but I'll just say they are equally marvelous in their own ways."

Something more was written down and if the powers that be would have allowed it, he would have crushed her right then and there. As it was, he could only fix her with a bored stare despite his frustrations. She tried hard to not come off as uncomfortable, he could tell, but her hard eyes bearing down at the paper and continued jotting were impossible to ignore. She pressed her lips together and remained professional, while obviously and much to his further annoyance, ignoring his needs.

"But as I was saying before, Ryan, as your new caretaker you wont have to worry about seeing anyone else in this room. No one will lay a solitary finger on you. You _will_ be bathed regularly, fed three times each and every day to bring your weight back up and I will strive to heal what ails you."

It was then, among her rambling and nervous jotting and obvious disquiet, he wondered...

"Dr. Hyde, are you unclaimed?"

Hyde clicked her tongue but remained as forced-relaxed as she was before. She crossed one leg over the other in what was meant to be nothing more than a casual gesture, but to him, to those eyes and that mind, she was setting up guards.

He grinned.

In Hyde's mind he did not sound at all how she imagined. His voice was soft yet parched. He sounded as a man should and held a tone to his voice that was masculine but not overbearingly so. It wasn't an unpleasant sound, she decided. There was a slight accent gracing his words too- English but not obnoxious and nasally like her Britain relatives were prone to sounding.

She found that while she appreciated him saying _something_ to her, she would have appreciated things even more if he avoided questions on her personal life.

"Unclaimed?" she pressed the pen to her bottom lip. "Yes, no man has claimed me as his wife just yet. Though I would see to it that my marital solitude lasts for as long as I'm a doctor."

That wasn't what he meant, she knew, and he knew she knew. Her blatantly obvious pussyfooting around his question was not appreciated, and, much to his chagrin, resulted in a softness in his trousers. She seemed pleased with herself for that, no doubt what she considered, personal victory.

His grin fell and Hyde adjusted herself in her chair a bit, moving around on the hard seat for a moment. Her derrière had gone numb, but he didn't need to know that.

* * *

I apologize for the lateness of this chapter. Moved houses and was down a net connection forever.

Special thanks to **erudite-graft** for being my first reviewer since I restarted the story! And a special thanks goes out to all the people who added this to their watch and/or favorites! I'm all giddy like a kid in a candy store now~

As always, reviews (or any sign of this being read) is very much loved :)

**Fun Fact: **If you know your history, then you'll be able to figure out the exact date that this chapter takes place on!


End file.
